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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · cabinet · toast · branch · kick · face · fan · racket

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. branch — a division
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com